RTA’s Public Transport Agency confirmed that public buses had lifted 70,732,502 riders, compared with 66,703,583 riders lifted during the same period in 2015. The figure reflects (4.6%) rise over last year’s records.

Bassel Saad Ibrahim, Director of Buses, RTA’s Public Transport Agency, said: “the increase of public bus users in Dubai emirate, which witnesses steady growth, is indicative of the spreading culture of using public transport among various community segments. Such a trend is attributed to RTA’s endeavours to operate robust and spacious buses with accurate timings, and integrated with other mass transit modes such as the metro, tram, and marine transit modes. Public transport network is well supported by high-class facilities such as metro/tram stations, marine transit facilities, air-conditioned bus shelters dotting Dubai emirate and about 100 smart air-conditioned shelters offering a variety of smart services to the public, which raises their satisfaction with these high-end services on offer by RTA.”

“RTA is seeking to complement mass transit modes in the Emirate in implementation of the strategic drive of curbing the use of private vehicles and increasing the use of public transport by making it the ideal mobility choice of people in the Emirate of Dubai. RTA is aspiring to raise the share of public transport means in people’s mobility to 30% by 2030. The share of public transport has soared from 6% in 2006 to 15% in 2015, and the rate is expected to reach 16% by the end of this year. Public transit means are the ideal mode of sustainable transport considering the massive number of vehicles flooding streets, let alone harmful gas emissions. Therefore, we urge the public to use mass transport in the interest of clean and healthy environment,” added Saad.

It is worth mentioning that RTA’s public buses fleet consists of 1,541 buses of various types including 347 articulated buses, 170 double-deck buses and 24 intercity buses.